For a clinician to do substantive research is not easy and requires the support of many individuals as well as real motivation and desire, but the reward is great and you can be directly involved in discoveries that change treatment paradigms that ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes. This is the ultimate goal that continues to drive me forward.
”
Assoc Prof CHNG Wee Joo
PhD (NUS); FAMS; FRCPath (UK); MRCP (UK); MB ChB (University of Leeds)
Department of Medicine and Cancer Science Institute of Singapore
- Biology, detection and treatment of multiple myeloma
- Liquid tumour biology and therapeutics
- Led groundbreaking research to conceive novel tools and approaches to understand, diagnose and treat multiple myeloma, a common and incurable cancer of the bone marrow
- Discoveries and inventions have been cited by the World Health Organisation's new classification of lymphoid cancers
- Findings have been incorporated as part of the Total Myeloma Care Programme for treating myeloma patients at the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore
- Consistently secured generous competitive research funding from governments, industry and universities
- Strong ability to combine clinical knowledge for identifying areas of unmet clinical needs and the scientific know-how for devising studies to tackle these clinical problems
- Possesses unique expertise for delivering high productivity and cutting-edge genomic technologies
- Highly collaborative and adept at organising large-scale research
- Published over 60 papers, with over 40 in super tier and top tier journals, and almost 900 citations received
- Peer review evaluator for leading international journals such as Blood (since 2008), Cancer Research (since 2009) and Leukaemia (since 2008)
- Serves on the advisory boards of leading healthcare companies such as Janssen Cilag (since 2008), Merck (since 2010) and Synofi-Aventis (since 2009)
- External reviewer of grant proposals for South Africa's Medical Research Council (since 2008) and Singapore's National Medical Research Council (since 2009)
- Member, International Myeloma Working Group (since 2010)
- Member, Editorial Board, Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology and Hematology (since 2009)
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, USA (since 2008)
- Visiting Scientist in Multiple Myeloma Genomics, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, USA (2004 - 2007)
- Invited to speak at over 30 established and prestigious conferences around the world
- The Outstanding Young Persons Award, Junior Chamber International (2009)
- Investigator Clinician Scheme Award, National Healthcare Group (2008))
- Clinician Scientist Award, National Medical Research Council (2008)
- Celgene Future Leaders in Haematology Award (2007)
- Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Fellowship (2006 - 2007)
- Best Reviewer Award 2006, Singapore Medical Journal (2007)
- Second Prize, Best Research Paper, Singapore Medical Journal (2005)
- Best Oral Presentation, Arizona Academic Excellence Day (2005)
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research International Fellowship (2004 - 2006)
- Best Oral Presentation, Singapore Society of Haematology Annual Scientific Meeting (2004)
- Courage Star, National Healthcare Group (2003)
- Best Oral Presentation, Singapore Society of Haematology Annual Scientific Meeting (2002)
"To develop novel drug combinations that obviate the need for chemotherapy in the treatment of haematologic malignancies and to be able to select and optimise treatment on an individual patient basis."